An Outer Membrane Enzyme Encoded by Salmonella typhimurium lpxR That Removes the 3′-Acyloxyacyl Moiety of Lipid A

The Salmonella and related bacteria modify the structure of the lipid A portion of their lipopolysaccharide in response to environmental stimuli. Some lipid A modifications are required for virulence and resistance to cationic antimicrobial peptides. We now demonstrate that membranes of Salmonella typhimurium contain a novel hydrolase that removes the 3'-acyloxyacyl residue of lipid A in the presence of 5 mM Ca2+. We have identified the gene encoding the S. typhimurium lipid A 3'-O-deacylase, designated lpxR, by screening an ordered S. typhimurium genomic DNA library, harbored in Escherichia coli K-12, for expression of Ca2+-dependent 3'-O-deacylase activity in membranes. LpxR is synthesized with an N-terminal type I signal peptide and is localized to the outer membrane. Mass spectrometry was used to confirm the position of lipid A deacylation in vitro and the release of the intact 3'-acyloxyacyl group. Heterologous expression of lpxR in the E. coli K-12 W3110, which lacks lpxR, resulted in production of significant amounts of 3'-O-deacylated lipid A in growing cultures. Orthologues of LpxR are present in the genomes of E. coli O157:H7, Yersinia enterocolitica, Helicobacter pylori, and Vibrio cholerae. The function of LpxR is unknown, but it could play a role in pathogenesis because it might modulate the cytokine response of an infected animal.